The Country Where You Get Paid For Being A Student

Imagine a world, where seeking higher education for the purpose of enhancing your career prospects didn’t leave you with a lifetime of debt?

Believe it or not, it turns out there are actually places in the world where such a thing can be a reality.

Denmark are pioneering the whole idea of free education. Anyone over the age of 18 are entitled to six years free study. Students who don’t live with their parents also receive 5,839 Danish krones (around £693) a month. That’s a grant too, so they don’t have to pay it back.

It’s made possible by their tax being much higher than it is here in the UK. Danes pay 36% tax compared to our 20% – meaning the government have more funding to pump back into society.

Average student debt in the UK has risen to around £50,800 whilst US college prices have surged by more than 500% since 1985. It’s easy to see why so many EU citizens opt to study in the country.

Eternity students

One criticism of the way Denmark offers free education is students who don’t feel compelled to graduate. The phrase ‘eternity student’ is used to describe those who take advantage of the system.

Numbers of ‘eternity students’ have declined though thanks to an amendment to the process back in 2015. It basically allows universities to push students towards graduating.